THE Christian Brothers paid $1 million to defend paedophile Brother Robert
Best. A further $500,000 was spent on legal fees for other shamed brothers,
including Edward Dowlan and Stephen Farrell who, along with Best, taught at
Ballarat East's St Alipius school in the 1970s. The parliamentary inquiry
into institutionalised child sex abuse also heard the Christian Brothers paid a
private investigator to look into at least one victim's "bizarre behaviour" to
use in Best's defence. In front of a packed gallery at Parliament House,
Christian Brothers Oceania Province deputy province leader Brother Julian
McDonald said Best, who is still a Christian Brother, was often visited in
Ararat jail. "You don't just add further to the judgement," Brother McDonald
said. "Family members should visit another family member in jail. He is still
a brother." Evidence was also given that Dowlan, who is no longer a Christian
Brother, was set up with a discretionary trust fund and housed by the brothers
after his conviction and up until 2008. However, Brother McDonald, who became
very emotional during his closing statement, said he wasn't going to "defend the
indefensible" and said the placing of four paedophiles at St Alipius was a
"terrible, terrible situation". But he said the Christian Brothers had no
evidence of collusion between the four, describing it as "an accident of
history"." Institutions do attract, consciously or unconsciously, people who
have paedophilic inclinations. "There were spartan and repressive conditions
when these people joined the congregation. We were taught to be tough and have
little communication with our families. "It was clear some paedophiles found
their way into the Christian Brothers." Inquiry chairman Georgie Crozier said
it was extraordinary nobody noticed. "The leadership was not trained in those
days to know what the signals of paedophilia were," Brother McDonald said. He
said there were strict rules of conduct though, including never being alone with
a boy and not touching children. "Some mistakes were made that had dire
consequences for the victims. "He said until the 1990s, only two cases of
child sexual abuse by a Christian Brother had been reported. But he said
church leaders at the time treated them as cases of "moral failure" and only
issued reprimands. Committee member Frank McGuire asked what selection
processes were now in place. Brother McDonald said a "rudimentary" process
had been replaced with the need for at least a tertiary qualification and
psychological screenings. He said 250 complaints had been made about
Christian Brothers, with the first in 1934 and only reported in 2000, and the
last in 1987 and reported in 2008. Of those, six brothers have been
convicted, with four remaining in the order, and another six were found not
guilty but no longer have access to children. Mr McGuire pointed to an early
report showing Brother Dowlan was "immature, spending more time with boys than
other Christian Brothers". "Why was that not picked up?" Mr McGuire
said. "It was a red light flashing from our perspective now. It should have
been a red light then," Brother McDonald said. Committee member Andrea Coutt
said it was clear the order had looked after the priests and "pushed" them
around parishes. "We made mistakes. Our records indicate those mistakes. We
didn't try and expunge anything," Brother McDonald said. "In hindsight, (a
cover up) is certainly what it looks like but I don't think that's what it was
thought of at the time." Outbursts from the public gallery followed this
remark. fiona.henderson@fairfaxmedia.com.au

Abuse inquiry: Christian Brothers paid $1 million to defend Best

THE Christian Brothers paid $1 million to defend paedophile Brother Robert
Best.

Convicted paedophile and Christian Brother Robert Best enters court with his legal team at one of his many appearances.

A further $500,000 was spent on legal fees for other shamed brothers,
including Edward Dowlan and Stephen Farrell who, along with Best, taught at
Ballarat East's St Alipius school in the 1970s.

The parliamentary inquiry
into institutionalised child sex abuse also heard the Christian Brothers paid a
private investigator to look into at least one victim's "bizarre behaviour" to
use in Best's defence.

In front of a packed gallery at Parliament House,
Christian Brothers Oceania Province deputy province leader Brother Julian
McDonald said Best, who is still a Christian Brother, was often visited in
Ararat jail.

"You don't just add further to the judgement," Brother McDonald
said.

"Family members should visit another family member in jail. He is still
a brother."

Evidence was also given that Dowlan, who is no longer a Christian
Brother, was set up with a discretionary trust fund and housed by the brothers
after his conviction and up until 2008.

However, Brother McDonald, who became
very emotional during his closing statement, said he wasn't going to "defend the
indefensible" and said the placing of four paedophiles at St Alipius was a
"terrible, terrible situation".

But he said the Christian Brothers had no
evidence of collusion between the four, describing it as "an accident of
history"."

Institutions do attract, consciously or unconsciously, people who
have paedophilic inclinations.

"There were spartan and repressive conditions
when these people joined the congregation. We were taught to be tough and have
little communication with our families.

"It was clear some paedophiles found
their way into the Christian Brothers."

Inquiry chairman Georgie Crozier said
it was extraordinary nobody noticed.

"The leadership was not trained in those
days to know what the signals of paedophilia were," Brother McDonald said.

He
said there were strict rules of conduct though, including never being alone with
a boy and not touching children.

"Some mistakes were made that had dire
consequences for the victims.

"He said until the 1990s, only two cases of
child sexual abuse by a Christian Brother had been reported.

But he said
church leaders at the time treated them as cases of "moral failure" and only
issued reprimands.

Committee member Frank McGuire asked what selection
processes were now in place.

Brother McDonald said a "rudimentary" process
had been replaced with the need for at least a tertiary qualification and
psychological screenings.

He said 250 complaints had been made about
Christian Brothers, with the first in 1934 and only reported in 2000, and the
last in 1987 and reported in 2008.

Of those, six brothers have been
convicted, with four remaining in the order, and another six were found not
guilty but no longer have access to children.

Mr McGuire pointed to an early
report showing Brother Dowlan was "immature, spending more time with boys than
other Christian Brothers".

"Why was that not picked up?" Mr McGuire
said.

"It was a red light flashing from our perspective now. It should have
been a red light then," Brother McDonald said.

Committee member Andrea Coutt
said it was clear the order had looked after the priests and "pushed" them
around parishes.